Cranberry Orange Dark ‘n’ Stormy Cocktails

A cranberry-infused rum Dark ‘n’ Stormy with orange bitters for a holiday twist on this classic cocktail recipe.

Ah, November, with your howling wind and barren trees, brown grass rolling across the landscape as we wait for a blanket of snow to change our color palette from browns and greens to greys and blues. Soon my world will be in black and white, signifying the end of harvest and the beginning of the holidays.

For years this was the time of month that I would find out I was expecting, right as the holiday hubbub was in full swing. There would be lists of Thanksgiving meals to prepare for (three a year for us), holiday parties to host and attend, and then Christmas just around the corner only to be followed closely by New Year festivities. I would be the one with a queasy stomach turning down cocktails in the corner. I would clutch my wine glass with horror and pretend to sip. I’d order club soda with lime wedges to hide news too fresh to share. Then I’d head home exhausted, collapsing into bed and falling asleep like the dead.

How much more fun is it, though, to be expecting just before the holidays? To show up at the holiday gatherings with a bundle of blankets that softly squeaks. Today we’re celebrating Jessica’s ability to do exactly that. Jessica from How Sweet It Is is anxiously anticipating being the belle of all the balls this season with a different kind of sweet to share.
Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktails, despite their island origins, always seem a good fall-to-winter drink with their cloudy nature and dark liquor. I’m infusing my rum for this party, bruising a few cranberries and giving them a good soak in a bottle of rum that’s ready to make the circuit of celebratory cocktails. It’s paired with a good and stronger, ginger-forward ginger beer and a dash or two of orange bitters to bring the holiday spices of cloves and cardamom to the table.

Directions

Using a toothpick, puncture each cranberry. Alternatively, you could slice them in half or crush them slightly.

Place the cranberries and the rum in a large, clean mason jar. Tightly close the lid and store in a cool place for at least 24 hours and upwards of a week before using depending on intensity of cranberry flavor desired.

For the cocktail, fill a high ball glass or two low ball glasses with ice. Pour the ginger beer over the ice. Top with the rum and the bitters. Stir to combine. Garnish and serve.

Notes

For a mocktail, substitute the cranberry-infused rum with 100% pure cranberry juice. You can keep or omit the dash of bitters as it suits you. Continue as directed and enjoy.

Recipe type: Cocktail, Beverage

Author: Shaina Olmanson

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 2

3.2.2265

It’s a full on shower of trashed up classic recipes for this party hosted by Bev and Ashley. Everyone has made something so unique and distinct in Jessica-style, and I want them all. If you haven’t already, which I don’t see how that’s even possible, you should head over to Jessica’s site to wish her well and to ogle all the trashed up fare she makes herself. Check out what we’re all bringing Jessica for the How Sweet Eats Baby Shower as she counts down to baby:

Comments

shaina!! THANK YOU! i will never forget talking to you a few years ago about how you had 4 kids and my jaw dropped and i was like… whaaaaat. i think about that convo often. and now i hope i can have that many too! xoxo

This looks absolutely perfect for the cold, wintry, holiday season! Can’t wait to impress everyone with these at our holiday parties. I love the photos in this post, and your writing! You’ve snagged a new regular reader with this one! 🙂

When I first turned 21, I never knew what to order, so I’d always just copy people. One day, a husband’s boss, order something with ginger beer. I loved it, and now I’ll order anything that has ginger beer in it…especially Dark n’ Stormy’s! Love the twist on this 🙂

Hey Shaina!! I love the idea of infusing rum with cranberries, seriously brilliant. I am curious – does the run turn red? I am thinking about making this with silver rum for a festive gift situation. Thoughts??

It does. For a dark and stormy, gold or black rum works best. If you are just looking to gift the rum, I’d say a silver would work great. With the gold you’ll see more red color than the black, but rest assured it makes both a lovely shade of crimson.

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Really very cool drink. i like cranberry. its very perfect for me an my family. its looking very delicious. its very useful for us and its a very useful in summer. anyway thanks for nice sharing. Please share more and more drinks which are useful for us.

I finally got to make these cranberry orange dark and stormy cocktails this past weekend and it was such a hit!! I made for the super bowl party and it was a crowd favorite. I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it.

[…] up in my opinion. That said, I am going out of my traditional cocktail comfort zone with this variation on the classic Dark n’ Stormy. The additions of cranberry infused rum and orange bitters would make this a great winter time […]

Hello, I'm Shaina. Food for My Family is where I share recipes, tips, opinions, and my philosophy on food as Ole and I strive to teach our four children how to eat well: seasonally, locally, organically, deliciously, and balanced. [Read more...]

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Hi, I am Shaina Olmanson. I am a work-at-home mom of four, feeding my family and my friends one plate at a time. I share recipes, tips, opinions and my philosophy on food as I strive to teach my four children how to eat well: seasonally, locally, organically, deliciously and balanced.